LOMBOK, INDONESIA—IMPRESSIONS (3/6/12)

∙ WHAT WE DID/SAW/EXPERIENCED
          ∙ Time in port: 8 hours+ (we, again, departed the ship at day’s end, exchanging 4 days at sea for a trip to Bali, and then an early arrival in Hong Kong – more on that later)
          ∙ We departed the ship early in the morning for a full-day tour of Lombok
          ∙ A large bus took us to a pottery village (Banyumuler), and then to a couple traditional Sasak villages (Sukarara and Rambitan).  With these HAL tours, we’re usually taken by large bus, so we do our best to get photos out of the bus window . . . I delete more than I save due to glare, speed and other factors . . . but sometimes I get lucky!
          ∙ We went on a horse cart ride (in which I was, inexplicably, handed the reigns for a time – this was super fun!)   We were the big news in town – a cruise ship’s arrival is a “big deal” here, and the locals came out in droves to look and/or wave as we drove by.  Many (including small children) were quite aggressive, tenacious even, in trying to sell us their wares.
          ∙ We finally reached Lombok’s own “Kuta Beach” (not to be confused with Bali’s famed Kuta tourist beach, with the nightclubs and beach parties).  “Little Kuta” (my nickname) offered a pretty seascape and a very good Indonesian buffet lunch at Novotel, which may be the only upscale resort on Lombok.  We saw water buffalos there, too!
          ∙ We were told we could swim in the resort's pool, and/or the beach, but the rain came down just as we were about to do so, and Bill didn’t want to get wet.  Only a few people got in the water.
          ∙ Upon our return to the pier, we grabbed our bags and joined Pat and Mel (from Canada) and Sam and Sally (from the US East Coast) for our “side trip” to Bali.
                    ∙ We had a great time, hanging out at the airport, smoking and drinking beers, while we waited for the shortest flight I’ve ever taken – 35 minutes from Mataram (Lombok) to Denpasar (Bali) – loading and unloading the aircraft took longer than the actual flight!  It still beat a 4-5 hour ferry ride over.
                    ∙ My room steward on the ship is from Bali and set us up with a friend of his (Mr. Agung), who got us our Lombok to Bali flights and picked us up at the airport.  He took us to a store for “supplies”, and then onto the hotel.  Great guy (yes, we paid and tipped him)!  Tomorrow, he’ll take us for a tour of the island, and the day after we’ll probably hang out near the resort, to relax.  Bali is much more crowded than Lombok – and a vibrant, upscale version.  If you’re looking for a cultural experience, then visit Lombok.  But Bali’s probably more desirable for most tourists.

∙ THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS
          ∙ It was a good day!  There was something transfixing about this small island.  It’s incredibly poor, but its charm came through in the eyes and smiles of its children and their mothers, who happily waved as we passed by – indeed, large groups of children stood by the roadway to wave.
          ∙ I really enjoyed my emersion into Lombok’s unique culture.  We were transported into a whole new world for the day.  It was especially fun driving the horse cart and seeing the surprised look on the locals’ faces!  The biggest downside to Lombok was the overly aggressive “pursuit” by locals, sometimes begging you to buy their stuff, or following you around even after you’ve said no.  It’s worse than Tijuana, if you can believe that.
          ∙ I’m having fun with Pat and Mel, and Sam and Sally, on our sojourn to Bali.  This is a great six-some!  Everyone was mesmerized by our hotel here in Bali – the Padma Resort Bali at Legian.  We got a quick glimpse, given our nighttime arrival, and a nice 10 pm dinner at their deli (yippee – good food again!).  This is one of the best resorts I’ve ever visited!  I can’t wait to see it by daylight!

IMAGES FROM LOMBOK, INDONESIA

LOMBOK TO BALI . . .

LOMBOK, INDONESIA (Port No. 17, 3/6/12)

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
        ∙ Land Mass/ Continent: An island in south-central Indonesia (in Maritime Southeast Asia)
          ∙ Estimated Population: 3.16 million Indonesians!
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 8,619 miles
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: Indian Ocean, Java Sea, Lombok Straight
∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/INTERESTING FACTS
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ The "Sasak" people -- the predominant inhabitants of this land -- were invaded by the Japanese during WWII; communists were killed en masse during a failed coup attempt in 1965; crop failures led to famine in 1966 and food shortages in 1973; and they were hit hard by Indonesia’s economic and political crises of the late 1990s
          ∙ In 2000, riots broke out Lombok’s capital, provoked by radical Islamic agitators, and tourism slumped
          ∙ In 2002 and 2005, Bali terrorist bombings (killing more than 220 people) and progress of the SARS outbreak in Asia also dramatically impacted tourism in Lombok
          ∙ In 2007-2008, most countries lifted their Travel Warnings, and tourism has since recovered and, in fact, increased
          ∙ The water supply in Lombok is stressed, and in May 2011, a $93 million project began to construct the Pandanduri dam
          ∙ A large majority of the population live in poverty; a family’s income may be as low as $1/day from fishing or farming
          ∙ The population is predominantly (app. 85%) Muslim, but a small (app. 15%) Hindu culture remains
          ∙ Only 25 miles separate Lombok from the Isle of Bali; it is commonly referred to as “Bali’s sister island”
          ∙ One key difference between Bali and Lombok is the presence of a malaria risk on the island of Lombok, which does not exist in the resort areas of Bali; a malaria prophylactic is recommended for our stop here
          ∙ Rice is their primary staple
          ∙ School is compulsory, but not free since there are no income taxes (people work or go to school 6 days/week)
          ∙ Since there are no income taxes, medicine is not free, either; the average lifespan is only 62-65 due to the high diabetes rate from the rice-saturated diet and the lack of affordable, quality medical care
          ∙ According to our guide, the government is highly corrupt and subject to bribery - "money talks"
          ∙ Indonesia is a smoker-friendly place, because a pack of cigarettes is only app. $1/pack; one can smoke anywhere that isn't air-conditioned
          ∙ Men can have multiple wives here, but his family must pay a dowry to each wife's family, based on her family's station in life; girls marry as young as 14, and boys at 17; a man can get a divorce by text message or by simply telling the village Chief
          ∙ The new Lombok International Airport opened in 2011

SUNRISE AT LEMBAR, LOMBOK, INDONESIA

LOMBOK VILLAGE BOYS

∙ THINGS TO DO/SEE/EXPERIENCE
         ∙ Beaches, mountains, temples and palaces, e.g., The Water Palace, Senggigi Beach, its own Kuta Beach (not to be confused with Bali's famed Kuta Beach)

KOMODO (ISLAND), INDONESIA—IMPRESSIONS

∙ WHAT WE DID/SAW/EXPERIENCED
∙ Time in port: 6 hours
          ∙ This morning began with a cruise through the beautiful local Indonesian islands, followed by an unpleasant encounter which reminded me how grateful I am for my friends at home.  I got my hair French-braided (the spa can cure any unpleasantness) and headed out for our day on the island!  (Violetta even put fresh flowers in my hair – too cute!)
          ∙ The ship anchored in Slawi Bay, and anyone who wanted to get off the ship had to purchase a Holland America shore excursion.  The Komodo dragons are dangerous, and the groups had to be carefully coordinated and escorted by guides and park rangers.  There was to be no “wandering about” at this particular location.
          ∙ The “tender” boat dropped us at a small pier, where we met our tour guide and park ranger (one led, and the other “brought up the rear”, so to speak).  As I neared the dock, I realized that I had forgotten my camera and would have to go back, until a very nice couple offered to let us use their extra one.  I returned it later, with a a bottle of wine . . . a small token for restoring my faith in people!)  It is these “moments”, like the guy who let me ride in the truck at Easter Island, the couple who gave us a lift from the Moorea pier and then showed us around the island, and the hotel clerk in New Zealand who called 24 hotels, trying to find us a room for the night, that have kept me going on this trip . . . in spite of everything else.
          ∙ Once offshore, we were escorted on foot for a short walking tour of Komodo National Park, in search of the "Komodo dragon".  We did, indeed, encounter a few of the ominous-looking creatures, one of whom reacted to me bending down for a photo by moving deliberately in my direction.  The guide “butted” it with a stick, and we were all told to stand behind him – we gladly complied!  It was God-awful humid, but since my hair was in a French braid, I did just fine.  I saw many shipmates sweating like never before.  The ground was a bit muddy from some recent rains, and the island had a general swampy feel to it – but it was oh so green and gorgeous.
 
∙ THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS
          ∙ It was quite a thrill to encounter the monitor lizards, as they moved about their tropical home!
          ∙ My only regret was that we didn’t get to stay longer!  The park offers a medium and a long hike, but the HAL tour was a short one (1.5 km, 1 hour), due to the age of most of its guests.  If you want to do this for yourself, I suggest the medium-length one (unless you prefer a very short or very long one, of course).  One “special” guest got to take a longer tour . . . lucky him!  A lot of that goes on around here – depending on who you know, tip, etc. (a privileged few get better food, drinks, tours, tables at Pinnacle, internet access, and even access to the Captain and bridge).  But we have the best room stewards ever, and that’s enough for me – well, that and the spa, and another detour off the ship to see Bali!
          ∙ Up next:  Lombok and Bali, Indonesia (Lombok is a planned stop; we divert there, once again – exchanging 4 days at sea for 2 days in Bali and 2 extra days in Hong Kong, instead) . . .
 

KOMODO (ISLAND), INDONESIA (Port No. 16, 3/5/12)

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
          ∙ Land Mass/Continent: Part of the Malay Archipelago/Maritime Southeast Asia (Asia being Continent No. 5 on our tour)
          ∙ About Komodo: Komodo (Island) is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia, a country in Southeast Asia (app. 6,000 of the islands are inhabited)
                 ∙ Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of countries south of China, east of India and north of Australia; it has two geographic regions: Maritime Southeast Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia

INDONESIA

                    ∙ Maritime Southeast Asia (aka Malay Archipelago) includes these destinations on our cruise: Indonesia and Singapore; it is the largest archipelago in the world
                    ∙ Mainland Southeast Asia (aka Indochina) includes these destinations on our cruise: Thailand and Vietnam
          ∙ Estimated Population: Over 2,000
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 8,462 miles
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: Sumba Strait; Strait of Lintah; Slawi Bay

∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/INTERESTING FACTS
          ∙ Currency:  Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
          ∙ Official Language:  Indonesian (aka Bahasa Indonesian); most Indonesians are also fluent in another language, such as Javanese, Dutch and/or English
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ The inhabitants of Komodo are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island
          ∙ The population is primarily Muslim, but there are Christian and Hindu minorities too
          ∙ Komodo forms part of the Komodo National Park (the park includes 3 larger islands and 26 smaller ones), which was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon; in 1991, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
          ∙ The Komodo “dragon” isn’t a dragon at all – it’s the world’s largest lizard (a "monitor" lizard:  large and carnivorous)

THE KOMODO DRAGON

          ∙ The dragons can smell blood miles away, so no woman expecting her monthly menstrual cycle can go ashore (they can smell up to 5 km away)
          ∙ There are app. 1,200+ Komodo dragons on Komodo Island and another 1,300+ on the nearby Rinca Island (and more on two other islands); the largest ones are on Komodo
           ∙ A Komodo dragon can live up to about 50 years
           ∙ Many of our ship's crew are from Indonesia and will be seeing their families for the first time in up to a year

∙ HIGHLIGHTS/THINGS TO SEE
          ∙ Komodo dragons - duh!
          ∙ Komodo is also a popular destination for scuba diving

FINALLY, WE GET TO MEET OUR DISTANT COUSINS!

WE’RE HALFWAY THERE–AND BACK ON THE SHIP!

• Today is Day 56 of our 112-day trip, so we’re halfway there
• The ship has traveled 19,390 nautical miles thus far
• We’re passing over the northern tip of Australia en route to Komodo Island, Indonesia
• We’re definitely back on the ship:  what was good remains good; what wasn’t remains as it was
• We’re trying to recuperate after two weeks of constant activity (and my cold)
• Yet, I woke up at about 5:30 a.m. yesterday (3/1).  These constant time changes are messing with me.
• I spent most of my day in my favorite place onboard the ship:  the spa.  I had a facial in the late morning, followed by a Cruise Critic luncheon, then back to the spa for a cellulite reduction treatment (I need many more of these – ha!) and a long-overdue shampoo and blow dry.
• In the evening, we attended the first of several murder mystery dinners that they’re having
• It started with champagne and a chance to “meet the characters” in the card room, followed by dinner and a narrated set of clues in the Pinnacle Grill.
• I was very happy to be seated by Alan and Annie from KC, and we were all having a great time (at first anyway).
• The cruise director, Bruce, was pretty funny, and the staff seemed to be having a ball as they played different characters in the story.
• They served us huge peel-and-eat shrimp, followed by a wonderful tomato soup!
• Then came a “pear salad”, which wasn’t so great (it had blue cheese, which one either loves or hates, but they don’t ask whether you want it or not; it’s mass-production time again).  It also had some tiny and not-so-ripe slivers of pear and a few drops of dressing).  I love salads, but without dressing, lettuce doesn’t offer much flavor.  The salad had potential, which wasn’t achieved.
• The main course (a petite filet and small piece of lobster) followed and was, in Holland America style, spectacularly “pretty”.  Although they wisely served the shrimp with a lemon wedge, they did not do so with the lobster.  Nor was there any sauce or drawn butter to give it flavor.  Hem.  I asked my waiter if I could have some butter and a lemon wedge, and he returned with some (lukewarm) butter – but no lemon – and he walked away so fast I couldn’t say anything.  Nor did anyone come by so I could ask.  I just sat there, waiting . . . as my lobster turned cold.  Someone else ate my lobster, with my blessing.
• They didn’t ask us how we wanted our steaks cooked, either, and they arrived at a variety of temperatures.  Mine was medium rare, but others were medium to medium-well.  One lady with an overcooked steak didn’t bother to eat it, since it was ruined.  No one ever stopped by or noticed . . .
• After the time to eat had gone by, the manager stopped by and asked how everything was.  I told her I asked for butter and lemon, but got no lemon, and another lady’s steak was overcooked.  She gave me a disapproving “look” as she turned her back and walked away, without saying a thing.  She obviously didn’t want to hear anything except how perfect it was.  Why did you ask if you didn’t want to know?
• When they were going to serve dessert, I asked for a coffee drink instead with Grand Marnier and Tia Maria.  It’s my favorite after-dinner drink!  A man brought me a shot glass with the liquors in it and left that on the table.  Okay, they hate me.  To make a coffee drink, you need only take a glass, pour the liquors into the glass, and then top it off with coffee and some whipped cream or 1/2 and 1/2.  You don’t just stick the liquors in a shot glass on the table!  When I asked for the coffee, the manager came over and told me (in a not so pleasant tone) that they don’t serve coffee until after the dessert is served.  In other words, I could just sit there and wait until after dessert service was over.
• That’s where I got up and left . . . and cancelled my remaining Pinnacle Grill reservations.  I don’t care to spend another $500/person on dinners there, only to be scolded for wanting an after-dinner drink, or a lemon wedge with my lobster.
• HAL Cruising “Survival Tip”:  When dining in the main (La Fontaine) dining room or in the Pinnacle Grill, you should sit there quietly, don’t request anything, and tell them everything was just perfect, should someone ask.  Cattle aren’t supposed to speak!
• Keeping it Real:  You might have noticed, I don’t follow the hallowed tradition among other “repeat” world cruisers of painting a perfect, rosy picture of everything, either onboard the ship or at the ports of call.  While I try to avoid hurting or embarrassing anyone, I will not mislead about what I experience.  If it’s great, I’ll say it’s great.  And plenty of things have been great.  But if it’s subpar, then that’s what you’ll read.  If you prefer the flowery version, then I can direct you to several other blogs – or Holland America’s website!  They’ll tell you what you want to hear.  Here are some photos of our “perfect” evening.